Applying the law

“I’m 34 years old, Brazilian and married with two children. I work for the very poor by helping them to defend their basic rights.” This is how Anisio Caixeta Junior, a young adherent of the Focolare Movement and public defender introduces himself – as one of those workers foreseen by Brazilian law to ensure that those who do not have the financial means will also able to have a public defence.

One quickly realizes that aside from carrying out his task with professionalism, Anisio is also animated by high ideals: “From when I was a child I’ve always been an ardent adherent of Chiara Lubich’s ideal of unity and I’ve always tried to offer help to my neighbours freely, and I found it fulfilled me.” Now I continue doing the same thing in my professional career. Chiara’s ideal of unity helps me to remember before each hearing that there before me is not so much a bureaucratic proceeding, but a human person to be respected and loved.

And it’s not only a question of moral conviction: “Anisio points out that in law history, in addition to the primary basic rights of life and property, there are also other rights, such as liberty and equality which emerged from the French Revolution. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights highlighted again another stronghold: the spirit of fraternity, which is therefore not merely help for the needy, but a stronghold which the very Constitution explicitly promotes and protects. Therefore, when I am driven to act by this ideal of fraternity, I am really applying a fundamental rule of my Constitution!   »

Anisio has many experiences each day by “simply applying the law”. He especially enjoys sharing this one: «One day, standing by a traffic light with one of my colleagues, a boy came up to us asking for some money. But imagine his surprise when we responded: “But we can do much more than just give you a bit of change! If you don’t have a family we can help you into a social programme just for that, even if you’re living on the streets without money. These are basic rights that the State must provide since they’re guaranteed by our Constitution. And it’s my job to help people into these programmes!”»

Are public defenders heroes? Anisio is of a different opinion: “I certainly don’t think that I’m changing the world with the work I do. But at the same time, I’m very fascinated by the idea that even a glass of water is not given in vain and I’m convinced that such a simple gesture as this can contribute to creating that new world, dedicated to fraternity, which can certainly be supported by the law, but must begin with ourselves!”